Electric gas-lighter.



R. F. DOWDY.

ELECTRIC QAS LIGHTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1911.

1,276,737 Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Will!!! I 3 \N 61mm;

witness UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOY F. DOWDY, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY GAS LIGHTER CORPO- BATION, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Aug. 27, 1918.

Application filed March 6, 1917. Serial No. 152,477.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY F. DOWDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State, of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric gas lighters andthe objects thereof are to provide improvements generally in artlcles of this class. The method of using devices such as the present is set forth in my Letters Patent No. 1,159,908 of Nov. 9, 1915, and will not therefore be gone into at length in this present description.

In the previous patent is set forth the arrangement of the source of electric energy,

' the gas stove, and a similar lighting handle.

The present invention has to do primarily with the construction of the handle, and

consists of the formation, combination and arrangement of parts as will be herein set forthand particularly claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a central, longitudinal section of a preferred embodiment of my invention and Fig. 2 a. plan view showing the assembled device. Figs. 3 and 1 are slightly enlarged plan and end elevational views respectively of the fiber washer 11, showing the electrical connections, and Fig. 5 a similar plan View of the fiber washer 13.

Referring to these drawings, 1 representsa tubular handle or container, one end of which has an integral head 2 and the other end having a detachable, screw threaded head 3. Both of these heads are pierced, the removable head for an electric cord 4 and the solid head for the electrode 5. The removable head is constructed as a shell to provide space for the knot 6 in the cord 1 which prevents undue strains on the termlnal connection of the cord 4.

The resistance unit 7 is made up as follows:

A suitable length of high-resistance wire 8 is wound in a helical path upon the external surface of the hollow orcelain'insulator or spool 9, a sufficient pitch being given to provide a safe gap between the turns to prevent short-circuiting In the bore of the cord end of this spool is cemented a threaded member such as a common wood screw 10, the screw end projecting slightly outside of the spool. To this is then screwed a fiber washer or insulating head 11. Inthe bore of the inner end of this spool 9 is cemented another threaded member such as the machine screw 12, the end of this screw also extending slightly outside the spool and the fiber washer 13 being screwed on to this projecting end and up against the end of the insulator 9. These screw members 10 and 12 being non-continuous, it will be seen that it is impossible to short circuit'the resistance.

Thus when the fiber washers are applied to the insulating spool the insulator or body of the resistance unit forms in reality a complete cylindrical insulator having enlarged collars at either end and with the resistance wire wound between the collars.

The end of the screw 12 extends beyond the fiber washer 13 and accommodates a small nut 14, thus serving as a binding .post for the connecting wire 15, which is connected thereto as follows: A small strip of sheet metal is the end of the bolt 12. The ends of the strip are then bent through arcs of substantially 180 degrees to bring the ends back over the pierced at its center to go over middle portion, thus forming a. clamp or I clip 16 for the terminals of wires, etc., when the nut-14 is screwed down.

The inner end of the resistance wire 8 is passed through a suitable hole in the fiber washer 13 and is then inserted between the overlapping portions of the clip 16' at 17.

Between the overlapping portions at the side of the clip 19 is clamped at 21 the terminal of the cord i while in the other side at 22 is clamped one end of a suitable fuse wire 23. The fuse 23 extends to'a similar clip 24, this being formed likewise of a strip of sheet metal, but for this clip two screws 25 and '26 are used.

- Where the sheet metal overlaps both thicknesses are pierced and the screws 25 and 26 each pass through the two thicknesses, c lamplng the upper end of the fuse 23 at 27 and the end of the resistance wire 8 at '28 respectively between the overlapping portions of the clip, and forming an electrical connection therebetween.

The resistance wire 8 ispassed through a suitable hole in the washer 11 and thence is wound upon the insulating spool 9 as already described.

The washers 11 and 13 are of such a size as to fit snugly within the bore of the container 1, the spool 9 being slightly less in diameter so that there remains an annular clearance and air space around the resistance wire. There are provided ventilating holes 29 at either end of the space so that the resistance will be protected from too ra pid heating. A. stop or shoulder 30 is provided inside the handle to prevent displacement of the resistance unit.

The electrode 5 is made of a pointed malleable iron rod or core which is covered by a tube 31 of insulating material, this being firmly pressed over the rod. Thus a guard is formed so that an accidental touching of the electrode when the current is on will not give the operator a shock. The pointed end 32 of the electrode alone being exposed this point must be touched to the gas jet to obtain the lighting spark, and thus the operator is unconsciously forced to hold his hand at a safe distance from the gas fiame.

The electrode 5 is pressed into the hole in the integral head 2 of the container 1 and for an additional safe guard against the for the fingers when grasping the handle in use.

possibility of its being accidentally driven back to contact the push button, a set screw 33 is applied through the wall of the container against the electrode, the opening therefore being afterward closed with an insulating cement.

To the inner end of the electrode on d within the cavity of the handle is soldered a connecting wire 34, the other end of which is attached to one side of the commercial spring push button 35. The free end of the wire 15 is connected to the other side of thispush button. The push button is normally in open position, the circuit being completed when the button is depressed.

In assembling, the electrode with the wire 34 soldered thereto is secured in the handle and the resistance unit with the wire 15 attached tliereto is inserted in the open end of the handle. The wires 15 and 34: are fished out the push button hole and attached to its binding posts and the push button is then entered.-

An enlargement or collar 36 is provided on the exterior of the handle and in this is located the push button hole. This gives a fiat and finished seat for the push button and at the same time forms an abutment or guard Thus I have described the general arrangement and various details of my complete lighting handle. Its safety, simplicity and utility will be appreciated by those familiar with such articles, and having so described the several features thereof, I now claim,

1. In an electric gas lighter, a hollow handle having an integral head at one end thereof and a removable head at the other end, an electrode extending through the integral head and rigidly secured therein, an electric cord extending through the said removable head, a resistance unit formed to fit within the hollow of the said handle and adapted to be entered therein upon the removal of the said head, the said cord being connected to the one end of the said resistance unit and the electrode being connected to the other end, there being a normally open switch in one of the said connections, there being a stop shoulder on the interior of the handle adapted to retain the resistance unit in its normal position.

2. In an electric gas lighter, a hollow handle, a resistance unit therein, an electrode extending through said handle and connected to the one end of the resistance unit a source of electric energy, a connection etween the same. and the other end of theresistance unit, the said resistance unit being of slightly less dimension than the cavity of the handle and there being'openings in the handle communicating with the space around the resistance unit.

3. In an electric gas lighter, a handle, a resistance unit therein, an electrode extending without the saidhandle, a source of electric energy, the said resistance unit comprising a cylindrical insulator with enlarged collars at either end thereof, a length of resistance wire coiled on the-said insulator between the said collars in a helical path, the ends thereof extending through the opposite collars and being clamped to the outer faces of the said collars, the one end being connected to the source of electric energy and the other end to the electrode.

4. In an electric gas lighter, a handle, a resistance unit therein, an electrode extending without said handle, a source of electric energy, the said resistance unit comprising a tubular insulator with a screw secured in each end of the cavity of the same and projecting therefrom, an insulating washer at each end of the insulator and screw threaded on the projecting screws, a length of resistance wire wound in a helical path upon the exterior of the insulator, the ends thereof passing through the 'said washers, and means for connecting the one end with the said electrode and the other end with the source of electrical energy.

5. In'an electric gas lighter, a hollow handle having an integral head at one end thereof and a removable head at the other end, an electrode extending through the integral head and rigidly secured therein, an electric cord extending through the said removable head, a resistance unit formed to fit within the hollow of the said handleand adapted to be entered therein upon the removal of the said head, the said cord being connected to the one end of the said resistance unit and the electrode being connected to the other end, there being a fuse and a normally open switch in the said connec tlons.

6. In an electric gas lighter, a source of electric energy, an electrode, a resistance unit,'a connection from one terminal thereof to the said electrode and another connection from the otherterminal'thereof to the source of electric energy, the means-for connecting a terminal of the resistance unit and its connected wire together comprising a clip of sheet metal having the ends bent back to overlap the central portion and a screw engaging the body of the resistance unit and passing through the clip, the two wires being inserted under the opposite turned ends of 26 the clip and the screw tbeing adapted to clamp the ends of the clip against the central portion thereof.

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROY F. DOWDY. Witnesses:

G. R. SNEDEGAR, D. W. AYERS. 

